Short Suits Are a Thing, Here's How to Pull Them Off

As any stylish man will no doubt tell you, dressing well isn't always easy—and in the summer, doubly so. There's a reason most American men gravitate, in the sweltering warm weather months, toward khaki-colored knee-length cargos and loose-fitting polo shirts: it's hot outside, and looser, lightweight and, well, less clothing is one way to remedy this. Those guys you see waltzing down Fifth Avenue in knits ties and elaborate three-piece suits on 80-degree afternoons? They're dying on the inside. And if most of us tried that, we'd be dying on the outside. Fact: nobody looks good in a flop sweat.

Left: Will Ferrell demonstrating what not to do; right: The Wallace and Barnes worker short suit, available at J.Crew.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Enter the short suit, which, of course, is not exactly new—many of our most forward-thinking celebrities have been making waves with it for some time now, from Pharrell (who presumably used the excess leg material to fashion another oversized hat) to the man himself, Nick Wooster, who, to be fair, could make literally anything look cool. Naturally, like all good trends in menswear, short suits aren't to be taken lightly. First of all, it takes the right combination of jacket and tie to prevent your bottom half from looking like you stopped getting dressed for work halfway through (a probable sign of dementia and good reason for your boss to be concerned for your health). Don't go too formal (no pinstripes). Think lightweight: lines and, especially, chambray is best (we recommend one of these from J. Crew). And since traditionalists will already be staring at you, mouth agog, when you blow open the sacred texts of menswear commandments that were once written in stone, feel free to have a little fun with this. Notice that Mr. Wooster and Mr. Thom Browne, above, don't feel beholden to the whole matchy-matchy thing. You're already making this casual, so feel free to mix it up. Which isn't to say they aren't still holding dear to some time-honored conventions—classic shoes, pocket squares, and tie bars are all present. As is usually the case in these revolutionary matters, the fit is key. In fact, you should just have that maxim tattooed on your forearm at this point. Oh, and for the sake of those around you, avoid short-shorts. You're already pushing it, as is.

Most Popular

We know what you're thinking. Oh, this is for some high-brow fashion crowd. Well stop right there: J. Crew has debuted their new line of short suits which is pretty much what it sounds like, as Business Insiderreports. And yes, if you're curious, this new breed of suits are, in fact, less costly than your average two-piecer. A mullet, the saying goes, is business in the front and party in the back. The short suit is sort of like that: business on the top and party down below. If the Everyman retailer is endorsing it, perhaps you should consider it too. It's hot out there. Save yourself some trouble, will ya? Plus you'll never again need to worry about flash flooding again. The possibilities are endless.